Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oldham and Hamilton

For one person, living is cheaper in Oldham: $1,982 a month against $2,306 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hamilton outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Oldham
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,982
/mo nomad
Hamilton
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,306
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oldham and in Hamilton

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Oldham and in Hamilton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,982 in Oldham versus $2,306 in Hamilton.

  • Oldham $1,982
  • Hamilton $2,306

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,932 in Oldham versus $3,384 in Hamilton.

  • Oldham $2,932
  • Hamilton $3,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,883 in Oldham versus $4,461 in Hamilton.

  • Oldham $3,883
  • Hamilton $4,461

Living in Oldham costs roughly 14% less than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oldham 46% above, Hamilton 70% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Oldham
Hamilton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.67 £14.75
$17.71 CA$25.03
11.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.1 £66.1
$66.7 CA$94.3
32.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.56 £7.17
$12.15 CA$17.18
-21.32%
Cappuccino
$4.79 £3.59
$3.39 CA$4.79
41.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 £2.20
$2.15 CA$3.04
36.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 £1.49
$1.70 CA$2.40
17.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.24 £5.43
$5.02 CA$7.09
44.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.74 £5.06
$6.18 CA$8.74
9.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oldham
Hamilton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 £1.10
$1.94 CA$2.74
-24.74%
White Bread (500g)
$1.69 £1.27
$2.04 CA$2.88
-17.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.95 £2.21
$3.10 CA$4.38
-4.84%
Eggs
$4.05 £3.04
$3.34 CA$4.72
21.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.83 £7.37
$7.91 CA$11.18
24.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.81 £6.61
$11.17 CA$15.79
-21.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.54 £11.66
$14.60 CA$20.65
6.44%
Apples (1kg)
$3.15 £2.36
$4.08 CA$5.77
-22.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.86 £1.40
$1.30 CA$1.84
43.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.85 £2.14
$3.87 CA$5.47
-26.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.46 £2.59
$3.69 CA$5.22
-6.23%
Potato (1kg)
$1.49 £1.11
$2.65 CA$3.75
-43.77%
Onion (1kg)
$1.60 £1.20
$2.00 CA$2.82
-20.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 £0.90
$1.99 CA$2.81
-39.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 £0.92
$1.29 CA$1.83
-4.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.63 £17.73
$12.49 CA$17.66
89.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.86 £8.15
$14.40 CA$20.36
-24.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.76 £2.07
$2.65 CA$3.74
4.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 £2.34
$3.97 CA$5.61
-21.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Oldham
Hamilton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.61 £1.96
$2.52 CA$3.56
3.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$95.7 £71.8
$87.0 CA$123
9.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.21 £2.41
$3.54 CA$5.00
-9.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.02 £1.52
$1.26 CA$1.78
60.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.03 £22.53
$23.47 CA$33.18
27.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.12 £1.59
$1.17 CA$1.65
81.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.7K
$26.4K CA$37.3K
44.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.8K £29.8K
$22.0K CA$31.1K
81.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oldham
Hamilton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$251 £188
$154 CA$217
63.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.94 £12.71
$42.63 CA$60.3
-60.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.55 £30.43
$51.1 CA$72.2
-20.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oldham
Hamilton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.14 £32.36
$37.84 CA$53.5
14.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.39 CA$24.59
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.18 £9.89
$10.32 CA$14.59
27.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oldham
Hamilton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,290 £968
$610 CA$862
111.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.7K £14.8K
$16.3K CA$23.0K
21.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oldham
Hamilton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.1 £65.3
$48.77 CA$68.9
78.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.43 £31.08
$31.28 CA$44.22
32.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.5 £70.2
$86.6 CA$122
8.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$87.3 £65.5
$119 CA$169
-26.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oldham
Hamilton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 £917
$1,239 CA$1,752
-1.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$728 £546
$1,157 CA$1,635
-37.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,368 £1,026
$2,032 CA$2,873
-32.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,093 £820
$1,882 CA$2,660
-41.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,063 £3,798
$2,708 CA$3,828
86.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,336 £2,503
$2,733 CA$3,863
22.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oldham
Hamilton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,483 £1,863
$2,989 CA$4,225
-16.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.82
4.6
4.78%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Oldham: October 17, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Oldham
$728
Hamilton
$1.2K 58.9% $429
Eating Out
Oldham
$313
Hamilton
$272 13.2% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oldham
$309
Hamilton
$248 19.8% $61
Groceries & Markets
Oldham
$304
Hamilton
$336 10.6% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Oldham
$139
Hamilton
$129 7.6% $11
Getting Around
Oldham
$119
Hamilton
$107 10.5% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Oldham
$70
Hamilton
$58 15.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,222 in Oldham and $1,239 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $88.0 in Oldham vs $67.0 in Hamilton. Groceries flip the comparison at $304 vs $336, with Oldham cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Oldham
🇨🇦 Hamilton
🕒 Local time
10:07 10:07 AM
05:07 5:07 AM
5 h behind Oldham
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
110,718
519,949
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Oldham Hamilton 5,560 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Oldham
  • Hamilton

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Oldham vs Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hamilton cheaper than Oldham?
Oldham is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and utilities. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Oldham or Hamilton?
On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Hamilton. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Oldham and Hamilton?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,222 in Oldham versus $1,239 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,290 in Oldham versus $610 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Oldham and in Hamilton?
Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Oldham or in Hamilton?
At $1,982 in Oldham versus $2,306 in Hamilton, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Oldham but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Oldham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Oldham or Hamilton more family-friendly?
For families, Oldham is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Oldham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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